China Treads Carefully on Corruption;
Sensitive Cases Are Kept From Public

By

Karby Leggett Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

Updated Sept. 21, 2000 1:03 a.m. ET

SHANTOU, China -- Two months after a fire at the Shantou Guest House in this southern Chinese city killed a team of government corruption investigators, the now-repaired building remains under lock and key, while state media have been forbidden from reporting details of the blaze.

The reason: Local residents claiming to have knowledge of the incident say the arsonists were aided by city officials -- a sobering scenario that Beijing...